Ducks and geese shot with darts in Glendale neighborhood

GLENDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Rachel Rooks brings her 2-year-old daughter Lilly out to see the ducks and geese every day, around the corner from their home in Glendale. But what they’ve discovered the past few days has been downright disturbing. “Starting last Thursday, I saw two dead geese in the lake, which seemed suspicious to me,” said Rooks. “The following day, we saw a dead goose. We looked at it closer. You could see the orange dart through its body, and then yesterday we saw a dead duck in the lake with an orange dart through its body once again.”

Someone has been shooting darts at the ducks and geese in the neighborhood park off 63rd Avenue and Utopia Road. Several birds have been found dead, others badly injured. One black duck could be seen swimming around the pond, with a bright orange dart stuck in his side.

Charlene Ruff and her daughter Fiona live nearby and consider the area pretty safe. They can’t understand what kind of person would hurt innocent birds. “My daughter and I come here all the time to look at the pond and check out the ducks and geese,” said Ruff. “It’s very cruel. I don’t know why someone would want to do that.”

The Glendale Police Department has taken a report, but so far there are not a lot of leads to go on. Neighbors are hoping someone will come forward with information and police will catch whoever is shooting darts at the ducks and geese. “I’m hoping it stops,” said neighbor Jim Coleman. “I’d hate to see it continue.”